JB the Hidden Gem

Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

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JB The Hidden Gem--A brief introduction

Hi all, we are students from Sunway College JB and this is our blog for IMC subject. 

Many of you might think that Johor Bahru is a boring place, but...

We are here to prove you wrong!!

Let’s take a look at the topics that we have written. 

Do support us!

1) Entertainments 

Kuso Trick Art Gallery, Musical Fountain at Taman Merdeka, Laser Battle at City Square

2) Theme Parks

Legoland Water Park, Legoland Malaysia (Theme park), ‘Dinosaur Alive’ Water theme park, Angry Birds Park, Little Big Club, Sanrio Hello Kitty Town   

3) Cafes and Restaurants

By Grace cafe & La Gourmet Dessert, DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe, Y Cube Cafe, IT Roo Cafe, Chez papa, Korea House

4) Special events

World Kite Festival, Chingay Parade

5) Historical places

JB Cultural Street, EHHE Art Gallery, Chinese Heritage Museum, Johor Art Gallery, Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Glass Temple, Dataran Bandaraya JB, JB Old Chinese Temple , Hiap Joo Bakery

By Chung Pei Ying, Ng Sheau Yann, Tan Jia Rong

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Legoland Water Park

Legoland Malaysia has just got even merrier with the opening of Legoland Water Park, which is also the largest water park in the world!

Launched in 2013, the water park has more than 20 thrilling slides and rides and over 70 specially built Lego Models. The water park is situated just next to the Legoland theme park. For more information on Legoland theme park, please click HERE to read our previous post. 

Similar to the Legoland theme park, you will see the iconic arch at the entrance, only that it has been modified with some blue colored ‘water’ to fit its name.

So, change into your swimming attire now and prepare to get wet!

Here’s the map of Legoland Water Park. 

One of the highlights here is the Build-A-Raft River. The uniqueness is that you can build stuff out of Lego Bricks while lazily drifting in the river pushed by the slow current. You can also add them to your own craft, and there are tons of Lego bricks in the river!

At Imagination Station, there are two stations where kids can build stuff out of DUPLO bricks and put them to test against the flow of water. In another area, a musical water stand with holes that squirt water allows kids to create their own water symphony as they cover the holes and create new music notes.

Next to it is the DUPLO Splash Safari for the children. There are DUPLO animals that shoot water out of their bodies.

Joker Soaker is a huge playground in the water park. Jets of water will stream at you at every area imaginable. Watch out for the 300 gallon bucket too! It tips over and pours a torrent of water on to unexpected visitors when it reaches its maximum capacity.

Lego Wave Pool enables families to simply cool off in this perfectly sized pool for all ages. You can see two mermaids in the distance too.

Next to the Wave Pool is the Beach Grill where you can grab a snack or lunch.

At Legoland Water Park, there are 2 raft slides, 1 tube slide, 4 body slides and a mat racer. Brick Blaster and Splash ‘N’ Swirl are basically the same. You can blast down the slides in a tube with your friends or families. Red Rush serves the same purpose too, only that it can accommodate up to 6 people at one time.

The overview of the slides.

Aren’t they exciting?

At the deepest end of the water park lies Lego Slide, the most visually intimidating ride. Twin Chaser has a height of 130 feet and both Tidal Tube and Wave Racers measure up to 240 feet.

Another slide is Lego Slide Racer where you will race headfirst down a nearly 5 storey tall slide. Unlike others, this slide has a 360 degree turn before entering the familiar dipping drops, and it often ends up in a huge splash as you reach the end.

Note: I found that both Legoland theme park and water park are very thoughtful as there is a ‘Lost Parents’ area. If children got lost from their parents, they can wait for their parents here.

As mentioned in the Legoland theme park, you can stay at the Legoland Hotel when you visited Legoland. The hotel has 249 themed bedrooms and there are also lego bricks for guests to play in the bedroom.

The lobby of the hotel. It’s just so amazing!!

The themed bedrooms!

Guests can also find an impressive display of 12,528 LEGO miniatures behind the check-in desk!

So, what are you waiting for?! Visit Legoland Malaysia and its water park now!!

For more information, visit http://www.legoland.com.my/Explore/Water-Park/

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Must-visit Cafés in JB

Café-hopping around JB is one of the most trending activities among most people nowadays, especially teens. So, here we are presenting to you some of the unique cafés in JB to feed your café-hopping addiction!

By Grace

By Grace is a great place offering you special desserts and also private dining! What makes it so special that it is at the list of top-ranked must-visit cafés in JB? 

Ta-daaa! The mouth-savoring dessert platter!

Using only the best ingredients, the scrumptious desserts offered by By Grace is definitely able to stimulate your palate! 

what are you waiting for? head off to By Grace now!

A sneak preview of the cosy and well-decorated By Grace café~ You can find a vast collection of plushies there!

Address:  93, Jln Kuning, Tmn Pelangi., 80400 Johor Bahru

Operation hours:  Mon-Sat: 5:00pm-1:00am

Contact no:  07-3337773

Email:  [email protected]

La Gourmet Desserts 乜都撈

Craving for exotic fruits and ice? Looking for something SPECIAL and BIG? Hunting for something cold and tasty to cool you down in a hot day? Here you go! La Gourmet Desserts offers you a wide variety of exotic fruit desserts, colorful ice shavings, towering icy mountains and so forth.

Mango Ice Mountain! 

La Gourmet Loh~ one of the signature desserts!

100% natural fruits are served to satisfy your craving!

Worry that you can’t finish the big serving of dessert? worry not, there are also other smaller servings of dessert available for you to enjoy. Here’s a glimpse of the menu.

Below are some pictures showing the exterior and interior of La Gourmet~

Address:   No11, Jalan Kuning 2, Taman Pelangi, 80400 Johor Bahru

Operation hours:   

Mon-Thu:11:00 am-12:00 am

Fri-Sat:11:00 am-1:00 am

Sun:11:00 am-12:00 am

Contact no:   07-3361911 

Email:   [email protected]

So, people with sweet tooth and café-hoppers, stop hesitating! Make you way there now! 

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1st in JB~Kuso Trick Art Gallery

Kuso Trick Art Gallery is now one of the most happening place in JB! Have fun and be entertained by the interesting kuso 3D trick art there!

There are numerous art paintings that will surprise you! 5 different themes available for visitors to take photos! Themes are ranged from Funny, Excitement, Horror, Romantic to Sweet. Different themes come up with different masterpieces props and settings which will definitely brighten up your day!

You can expect a wide variety of fun and interactive sessions here!

The 3D visual effect coupled with the visitors’ facial expression will undeniably produce a perfect photo!

Some props are provided to visitors as well to add more fun!

Photo credit:  Kuso Trick Art 1st in JOHOR BAHRU

No idea on how to pose in order to produce the most ideal photo? No worries!  A 10 minutes briefing by the staff will guide you on posing and the perfect way to take pictures!

Without doubt, a trip to Kuso Trick Art Gallery will be  an utmost enjoyable, fun and joyous experience! So, what are you waiting for?

Address: 83 & 85 Jalan Mutiara Emas 10/2, Taman Mount Austin, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Operation Hours: Sun-Thu: 11am-8pm; Fri-Sat: 11am-9pm

Ticket Price: RM22/pax

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                 Musical Fountain @ Taman Merdeka, JB

Can’t take your eyes off? Introducing to you the FIRST musical fountain in JB! Located at Taman Merdeka, it has been a fascinating place to hang out at night!

A combination of lighting, fountain and music will definitely livened up your mood!

A number of songs are played with the fountain water show, such as some popular malay, english, indian, classical and also chinese songs!

The lively 30-minute musical fountain instills the colours of Johor Bahru!

The volume of visitors is higher during weekends! A romantic place for couples to date at night~ A place for you to relax your mind and spend quality time with your families~

It would be advisable to reach there earlier so to get a parking spot! Be aware of mosquitoes as well!

The fountain and the lighting's rhythm synchronizes with the soothing music!

To get a glimpse of the musical fountain, please view it at the video uploaded above. Sorry for the disturbing background noises, the kids there were just too excited haha!

Photos below showing the night view of Taman Merdeka~ 

(Photo Credit: YNZ214)

During day time, Taman Merdeka is also a hotspot for Johoreans to do morning exercises and other recreational activities! Refreshing air and tranquility scenery there will definitely make your day!

Address:  Taman Merdeka, Jalan Kolam Ayer, 80200, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Musical Fountain Show Time (30 minutes):  two sessions: 9pm and 10pm, daily

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Johor Bahru Cultural Street- Morning scenes with night Bazaar

This road takes its name from Tan Hiok Nee, a Chinese merchant who was bestowed the title of “Chinese Major” by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1870 and subsequently was accorded a Datukship. He started as a textile merchant and ended up as a supplier of fabric and later controlled the market at that time.

Kadazan food blending with Chinese taste. Tuesday to Sunday (8:30am - 5:30pm), rest on Monday Saturday (8:30am -11pm) (there will be event on the street according to owner)

Tan Hiok Nee also planted black pepper and gambier along Sungai Johor, from Kota Tinggi until the shores of the Tebrau Straits facing Pulau Ubin. Tan Hiok Nee was also head of the Ngee Heng Kongsi clan from 1863 till 1873.

Street draws!!!!!!!!!

Next Chapter>>Night Bazaar accompanied with nice wall paintings

According to one tourist from Indonesia: The JB Bazar started from 6pm to 12 pm on weekdays and 7pm to 2 am on saturdays.Keep an eye for the Billboards that contains the happenings on the streets of Johor.

U can find almost anything here , foods, clothes, dvds, even a pet seller was there.Its a busy, crowded and interesting place to be (thats might a night market should be !).

Girlszz where are you heading to? Here is your right place at the right time with the right prices.. Heeehaaaaa>>

Beautiful drawing at night shots!!

 Nice clothes@@!!!!

Just opposite the street we found a Chinatown, and we are lucky to watch the Chinese art (Koteki ) and Chinese music performance from the Chinese children.The event was organized in front of the Teo Chiew building and hosted by the Teo Chiew brotherhood.We found also Night Market games , a Karaoke screen and chinese antique stuffs seller.A must see if you are in Johor Bahru.

shoes and slippers...

School bags..

Nice wall painting again but not dullZZZ!! It just stirred your artistic cells excited!!!!

Café to let you rest your feet with fabulous brewing drinks. Hot or cold and which atmosphere you like are just at your footsteps..!!!!!

Indian and Malay food!!!!

There is more to find out about Bazaar in Johor Bahru, you think this is all!! Then you have not been there before, come come and free yourself up with this cool cultural street with night Bazaar!!!!!

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Legoland Malaysia

Watched the Lego Movie? You should’ve visited Legoland Malaysia!

Now, let us travel into the world of LEGO!

With more than 40 rides, slides and theme attractions, Legoland Malaysia is the first Legoland theme park in Asia. There are seven themed areas of attractions – The Beginning, Lego City, Miniland, Land of Adventure, Imagination, Lego Kingdoms and Lego Technic. The park is a day-long voyage of discovery for everyone!

The Beginning is the entrance of the Legoland. There is an iconic Legoland Arch that is designed to look like it was built using oversized Lego bricks. You can also find ATM machines, strollers and locker rooms for rent here. The Big Shop which sells some of the largest selection of Lego toys can also be found here.

The Lego figurines are basically everywhere!

Let’s head over to Lego City first.

Such a cute directional signboard!

The most fascinating thing here is you get to drive a car, boat, plane and a train! The Lego City Stage is also here, live performances feature Lego Ninjago and The Realm of Shadows will be shown at scheduled time. There are also other places which can be seen from the pictures below.

Rescue Academy is great for family bonding as it requires teamwork to rescue people from the building by putting out fire.

The Lego City Airport. What is the Lego man holding? hahaha

Next, we will proceed to the Miniland. This is the favourite place for most of the people. You can see many countries’ landmarks here constructed using Lego Bricks. Apart from the grand views of Lego blocks, it is also a fun way to learn about Asian countries and how the popular landmarks look like.

Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur. This is the famous Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The vehicles on the road can even move following the darkened tracks! Unbelievable right?!

Our very own Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru! FYI, we have written a post on this building too. Click HERE to view it.

The Forbidden City of China. You can also see the Great Wall of China at the back.

Bali, Indonesia.

Our neighboring country, Singapore.

Taj Mahal, India.

There are a lot more countries’ landmarks in Miniland such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia but I’m unable to put all the photos up here. Pay a visit there if you want to know more about it.

A good news to Star Wars fans! 

In September 2014, there will be a new attraction features seven scenes from the six Star Wars films and The Clone Wars animated series in great detail. The exhibit is made up of seven rooms each depicting scenes from each Star Wars movie. The first one you’ll walk into is the majestic Naboo Royal Palace looming over the Battle of Naboo. Subsequent rooms will take you to Geonosis, Kashyyk and Mustafar, Tatooine, Hoth, Endor, and Christophsis.

Coming up next is the Land of Adventure. There are The Desert (Egypt), Dino Island, the Jungle and the Orient.

Lost Kingdom is an indoor ride where get to go on a laser hunt.

Dino Island ride is pretty exciting too. You may watch out for the Lego Dinosaurs along the way and prepare to get wet on the way down!

There’s also another multi-level play area called Pharaoh’s Revenge.

Imagination is the place where you can build stuff using Lego bricks. There is also an earthquake table to test the strength of the Lego block you constructed.

There is a musical fountain right after the entrance!

Observation Tower enables people to ride all the way up to the top and enjoy amazing panoramic views of the entire Legoland via the rotating platform.

Kid Power Tower and Observation Tower.

LEGO Kingdom is the themed area of the park that’s all about knights, swords, castles and dragons! The main focus here is the Castle, which people queue up for roller coaster rides called The Dragon.

There are also rides such as Merlin’s Challenge, Dragon’s Apprentice, Royal Joust and a playground named The Forestmen’s Hideout.

Lastly, we arrive at Lego Technic. There is a Project X roller coaster and Technic Twister which is similar to the spinning cup rides. Wave Racers is about ride that spins like carousel in the Aquazone where you have to dodge water shots and navigate sharp turns.

Another attraction here is the Mindstorms Academy, where you can construct and program your own Lego robots. There’s a massive Einstein face that’s completely built out of bricks emerging out of the front entrance of the Mindstorms Academy too.

For tourists, you can stay at the Legoland Hotel too.

Does it look appealing to you? Plan your next trip to Legoland Malaysia now!

For more information, visit http://www.legoland.com.my/

We have also talked about Legoland Water Park. Click HERE to read it.

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Laser Battle @ City Square, JB

Laser Battle is now in Johor Bahru!  A new place for you to have fun, sweat yourself out and also hang out with friends and families!

As the Asia’s largest laser tag operator, Laser Battle emerged as the leading distributor for Zone Empire (P&C Micros) products with more than 600 outlets worldwide. In Malaysia, you can play Laser Tag in KL, Penang, Ipoh and not forgetting, Johor!

Using the latest Laser Tag Gaming Technology (NEXUS PRO GEN 2 System), Laser Battle is undeniably fun to the max! You can SEE and FEEL at the same time!

Prepare yourself to have a game with bright green laser and 7 vibration points to make sure you feel EVERY SINGLE SHOT!

A sneak preview of the Laser Battle @ City Square, JB!

There are more than 40 different games for you to choose from and you can even customize the games to suite your needs!

Have a glance at the list of most popular games here

It will be 10 minutes per game, not including the briefing time on games mechanic and safety.

For Leisure Laser Tag Game, each player will be charged:

-RM35/2Games

-RM45/3Games

Laser Battle for company or birthday party and also Outdoor Laser Tag Game, please contact them for the prices!

Make a prior booking NOW to have lots of fun in the only Laser Battle in JB!

Address: MS 11 & 12, 4th Floor InnerCity,  Johor Bahru City Square, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru, 80000, Johor, Malaysia. Contact No.: [phone] Operation Hours: 10:00 am-10:00 pm, daily

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‘Dinosaur Alive’ Water Theme Park

This time, let us take you to another theme park in Johor Bahru. The ‘Dinosaur Alive’ Water Theme Park has opened in Johor Bahru in 2013. Many people do not know about it as it is located at level 7 of KSL Resort. More than RM 2 million has been spent on the park. 

Overview of the park from the top.

There are two giant Tyrannosaurus Rex heads which serves as the entrance of the water park.

There are five realistic animatronic dinosaur fitted with sensors in the park. They will move and roar when people come near to them. Although they don’t bite, don’t go too near to them as their tails will swing too! One of the prominent dinosaurs is a giant 85-foot long Brachiosaurus that spits water at intermittent intervals.

The brachiosaurus with its eggs. It is the dinosaur that spits water too!

The park also serves as educational purpose for both adults and children. The walls of the theme park feature depictions dinosaurs of all variety from different eras and their characteristics.

There are two high-speed water slides that challenge the visitors overcome their fear of speed and height. The slides are recommended for adults, and the children will have to play at the kiddy pool with baby water slides nearby.

The high-speed water slides.

Besides, visitors can stand under the two Giant Pail Waterdrops. When the pails that are placed three metres above the pool are full, they can expect a sudden soaking from the pouring of water from above. It is exciting though. There are also some water guns nearby which you can use it to splash at one another.

Moreover, there is a 18m wide man-made waterfall that creates both audio and visual effects at the theme park. Children can play with rented floats or have a banana boat ride at the waterfall there.

If you are a dinosaur fan, the ‘Dinosaur Alive’ water park will be a great choice for you!

The theme park opens from 10am to 7pm on weekdays and 9am to 7pm on weekends and public holidays.

Address: 7th floor KSL RESORT, 33 Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad, Johor Bahru 80250 Malaysia

Entrance fee: Adults RM50; Children RM30

Note: It’s free for all KSL Resort room guests!

Here’s a video on the dinosaurs of the water park. Enjoy!

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EHHE Art Gallery

Artistic people here you go!!!!!!

Souvenirs to be bought to bring back to your friends or for your own collection...

A bigger size wooden man!!!

A cupboard used  in our grandma’s time

Things that people use very long time ago

Games that our elderly people played last time.. without ipads, iphones and i pods era.

DISKS in this big big size !!!!!

Calligraphy, ancient way of writing...

There is no Korean drama like today’s time ... this is the entertainment of our grandpas and grandmas..cool!!!

how well is this drawing .. i cannot tell it is really a vivid gesture...

Address: No.1, Jalan Trus, 80000 Johor Bahru

Operation Hours: Mon-Fri (12pm-7pm)                             Sat-Sun (10am-9pm)

Facebook: EH HE

Free Admission (what are you waiting for???)

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Angry Birds Activity Park

If you are a game lover, you should know about them! The Angry Birds that have gained fame and popularity in the recent years!

At 26,000 square feet, the brand new Angry Birds Park has launched in October 2014 at the new Komtar Johor Bahru City Centre (JBCC). It is also the first Angry Birds Park in Southeast Asia! There are four main areas in the theme park, namely South Beach, Utopia, Classic, Danger Zone and Space, just like the setting in the games! Needless to say, there are various fun and interactive activities one can do in this theme park, especially for kids.

What we can see from the entrance, the red angry bird and ‘catapult seats’!

A map showing the location of attractions in the park.

Let’s get started from the South Beach. Red Bird Sona is an iterative dance play system and children have to run to the correct number according to the device’s instructions. Next is Captain Black Birds Ship where there is a small playground with slides and nets. Kids can also make their own playground using the foam parts provided. For the Balance Bike Lagoon, there are those bikes with no pedals and people will have to use their legs to control it. At the CineMine area, there are short episodes of Angry Birds cartoon for people to watch while relaxing. There is also a giant screen here to play angry birds game.

Red Bird Sona and Captain Black Birds Ship in the picture.

Next, we will go to the Utopia zone. There are many Anti-Gravity Trampolines for children to jump on. The Giant Leap Foam Pit enable people to swing like a Tarzan with a rope and jump into the Foam Pit. The Air Parkour Track is basically the same with the foam pit, just like people get to swing from blocks to blocks. ‘Bird Wire Slack Line’ requires people to balance themselves and walk through a thin wire to get to the other side. Moreover, Spinning Time Machine is a donut like wheel where people are able to spin 360 degrees from within.

The Giant Leap Foam Pit!

At the Classic zone, there is Angry Birds GO! Cart Track. The carts come in two sizes, one for children and another one for adults. You can go into a tunnel and drive around the obstacles. The Bird Nest Climbing Track is a playground with slides and ropes to climb. There are a few huge eggs in the middle too! There is also the Red Bird Goal which is similar to the soccer game. People will have to kick the ball to the correct rectangular board to change its colour within a time limit.

Angry Birds GO! Cart Track.

Bird Nest Climbing Track.

The Danger Zone seems quite challenging from the name itself. There is a ‘Space Drop Airbag’ where people can jump from the edge of a cage on the 2nd level to a platform. There is age restriction on this activity. Another fun activity here is Lazer Bird Scoot where kids can get on a scooter and ride on a slope. There are dangers though as the floor is uneven and they can fall easily.

Lazer Bird Scoot.

Lastly, the Angry Birds Space. There is this ‘Piggy Shooting Gallery’ where people can use air guns to shoot down piggies in the required time. This is a chance for them to experience the real live Angry Bird game. Another game here is in the Laser Maze Spaceship. You will have to manoeuvre through the lasers without touching them to get to the other side of egg and there are three levels of difficulty to be chosen from. This is definitely one of the most favourite activity in the theme park.

Piggy Shooting Gallery. Even the adults and elderly join in the fun too!

Laser Maze Spaceship.

Outside the activity park, there is a souvenir shop and Angry Bird café too.

Pricing of tickets for your reference.

Do check out its Facebook page for events and promotions!

https://www.facebook.com/AngryBirdsActivityParkJB

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DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe and Merchandise Store

Calling for DC Comics Super Heroes fans!!! Introducing to you the FIRST Super Heroes Cafe and Merchandise Store in the world! A great place in NusaJaya, JB that you shouldn’t miss! 

Launched and officially licensed by DC Comics, there are two Super Heroes Cafe in Malaysia, one in Nusajaya, JB and another one in Sunway Putra Mall, KL. There is also a newly-opened one in Marina Bay Sands Singapore.

If you are one of the hardcore fans of DC Comics Super Heroes, I am sure you will have the names of the members of Justice League at your fingertips: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and so forth.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Without further ado, here are some pictures of the DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe and Merchandise Store in Nusajaya JB!

You could see the exterior decor of the cafe is greatly inspired by the heroes!

A sneak peek at the DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe!

Trust your eyes, this is the menu of the cafe!

Here comes the food and drinks to drool over!

Not to forget about the Super Heroes Merchandise Store!

Well, the merchandises sold are quite expensive and probably you wouldn’t want to burn a hole in your pocket just to grab one home, so why not take some photos as memories? 

So are you stunned and amazed by this DC Comics Super Heroes Cafe? Make your way there now!

Address: Lot 14B & 15B, Ground Floor Little Red Club, Persiaran Puteri Selatan, 79000, Puteri Harbour NusaJaya, JB, Johor, Malaysia

Operating Hours: 

Weekday (Sun - Thu): 11.00 AM to 8.00 PM Weekend (Fri & Sat): 11.00 AM to 9.00 PM 

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Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum

This is the excerpt taken from the chronology recorded of some historical events for the last 160 years and is intended to let readers recapture what had happened in Chinese Community of Johor Bahru.

1844 Temenggong Ibrahim encouraged the Chinese Planters to cultivate gambier and pepper in the interior of Johor. 1853 Tan Hiok Nee and Tan Ban Thye obtained a surat sungai for the Masai Kong-kong area. 1859 Tan Kee Soon was succeeded by Tan Cheng Hong as the Kangchu and Kapitan of Kangkar Tebrau. 1866 Iskandar Puteri was renamed Johor Bahru. Wong Ah Fook was the contractor who built this Palace.

1870 Tan Hiok Nee was appointed as “Major China”. 1885 The Johor Sultanate accepted the British protection and Abu Bakar formally ascended to the throne of the Sultan of Johor Sultan. Sultan Abu Bakar gave the Chinese community a piece of land in Jalan Ngee Heng for use as burial ground. 1922 Wah Kiew Kong Soh (The Nanyang Overseas Chinese Association) was formally established. 1937-1941 When the Sino-Japanese Was broke-off, the Chinese Community embarked on a fundraising campaign to help China in their resistance war against the Japanese.

1947 17 March, a memorial service for 2,000 war victims was held at the Chinese War Victims Memorial Cemetery. 1957 31 August, Malaya declared independent. Chinese community organized various activities to celebrate the event. 1963 16 September, Malaysia was established. Chinese community organized various activities to celebrate the event. 1985 20 June, the Johor Government Gazette declared the acquisition of the vacant plot of land belonging to the Johor Ancient temple and the land of the Foon Yew School in Jalan Trus.

1995 In April, the state Chief Minister allocated an amount of RM 100,000 each for Johor Ancient Temple renovation fund and for the Southern College building fund. 2004 27-28 November, inauguration of the new building of the Johor Bahru Tiong-Hua Association by the Johor Chief Minister Dato Abdul Ghani.

To find out more about Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum, please present yourselves there and enjoy.

Address: 42 Jalan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, 

Operation Hours: Tuesday – Sunday 9:00am – 5:00pm

Admission fees: Adult RM 6, *Group RM 4, ** Concession RM 3 *All registered society and association with prior notice, **Children, full time students and senior citizens aged 55 years old and above. (Subject to change without prior notice and the admission fees is subject to 6% GST)

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The beautiful story behind Chez papa - Johor Bahru French Bistro & Wine Bar

He first set foot in Johor Bahru in 1995 to pursue the love of his life. He won her heart and decided to stay. It has been an exciting journey for French hotelier and Chef Dominique Muller. He recalled the early days of Johor Bahru’s growing pains as it made the transition from a border town into a city.

“I remember that traffic snarl along Jalan Tebrau when the authorities were constructing and widening the trunk road leading to the eastern part of the state. I also remember walking in the heart of the city where there were old buildings with traditional Chinese-style architecture. It was a sight to joy. “The sound and smell of Johor Bahru then, still lingers,” said Muller who hails from Colmar.

What brought him to Johor Bahru? He was trying to win the hand of Shereen Devendran, whom he met during the course of work in Kota Kinabalu where Muller was the manager of the Nexus Resort Karambunai. “Shereen was based in Singapore and the company she works for, which specialises in software programming for food and beverage accounting procedure, sent her over to help set things up. That’s how we met, he said.

Sparks flew and Muller quit to get closer to the woman he adored, even though there was no permanent employment for him in Johor Bahru. “But I had a full time job. It was looking after Shereen’s father (the late S. Devendran) who was in poor health. For six month, I nursed him, looked after his needs and made sure he was comfortable,” said Muller.

Devendran was the former president of Johor Cricket Council and played hockey for Malaysia in 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. For Muller, moving from one place to another is second nature. The wanderlust in him is written in his CV, having lived in London, Bahrain, Singapore, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, China and now Malaysia where he intends to apply for permanent resident status.

“That’s the nature of the job when you are a hotelier, restaurateur or a chef. I have worked in some of the finest French restaurants in the World- The Maxim’s De Paris in Singapore: Le Beaujolais in Bahrain and Le Souffle in London,” he said. Now, Shereen and Muller manage two restaurants in Johor Bahru- Chez Papa which opend its doors in 1999 and La Belle Vie in Taman Molek in April 2012.

“My wife and I managed to raise RM 100,000 and we rented a shop lot along Taman Maju Jaya, which is a predominately Chinese area. “Imagine a French restaurant among the many Chinese restaurants. “We are the only French restaurant here since we started 16 years ago and we’ve serving traditional French cuisine,” Shereen said.

“Two years, I told Shereen. If we fail, I will look for a job elsewhere. We knew it was a challenge. But we also knew Johor Bahru was growing. “there were some overaeas-educated Chinese living in the city and they had been exposed to French cuisine. There were expartriates, too. I thought we had a fair chance to survive,” said Muller. But things were off to a poor start.

As Shereen recalled: “There was no water supply on the day we opened our restaurant and we were not able to put up a signboard because of some issues with Johor Bahru City Council.” But all that is history. Chez Papa has since turned an adjacent shop lot into a wine bar and La Belle Vie is doing fine. The entire effort had been worth it for Muller- he found the love of his life and he has seen his business grow- two things he had not taken for granted since he first arrived in Johor Bahru.

Email address: [email protected]

Website: www.chezpapa.com.my, Facebook: Chez Papa French Bistro, JB.

Operation Hours: Dinner: 6pm to 10:30pm                             Wine Bar: 5pm to midnight                              (closed on Sundays)

For reservations please call: [phone] or [phone]

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Korea House- the Pioneer of Korean Restaurant in Johor Bahru

South Korean Ham An Sun has been living in Johor Bahru and Singapore around 40 years. With most of those years spent operating the Korea House restaurant at Jalan Noja in Johor’s state capital.

The almost 70 years old mother of two had moved to Johor to follow her husband, the late Won Hi Joo, who was a well-known contractor among the business community in Singapore. The wons, who hailed from Seoul. Loved to entertain guests. An Sun always made it a point to serve authentic home-made Korean food, using recipes that were passed down by her mother.

“When my late husband became tired of contract work in Singapore, he relocated the family to Johor. We considered opening a business but were unsure which particular one to go into,” said An Sun. “Then we found that there were no Korean restaurant in Johor at the time, so we decided to open one which we named South Gate Restaurant. It was later renamed Korea House.”

The family business boomed, with a mix of locals and Korean expatriates being the restaurant’s frequent patrons. They will pack the restaurant during weekends.

An Sun said the late sultan of Johor, Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail and his son. Sultan Ibrahim were among her distinguished customers. “The late sultan’s favourite dish was the Kaibi beef ribs in garlic. His son loves it too. The royal family have dined here on many occasions,’ said An Sun.

Besides the Kaibi beef ribs in garlic (RM65 per set), other bestsellers include Sam Kye Tang or ginseng chicken soup (RM45), Seng Seun Kui Godeng Oe or grilled mackerel (RM25). Japchae glass noodles with vegetables (RM25), and oxtail soup (RM40).

Each dish comes with a wide selection of side dishes like kim chi, Korean-style pancake, fish cake and an assortment of vegetables with rice. “Korean food is about balancing the yin and yang, which can be in the colour of food presentation. Koreans eat a lot of vegetables and that’s why dishes are served with various types of greens. Some dishes require hours of preparation. Kua Chi takes seven hours to do, while ginseng soup takes four hours. An Sun uses ginseng and chilies that are imported from South Korea, while other items are bought fresh every day from Larkin market.

Korea House, which can accommodate up to 80 diners, has a homey feel. An Sun decorates the interior with personal items, while surrounding the two-storey premises are potted plants and small pond. Korea House is at No.4, Jalan Noja off Jalan Dapat (accessible via Jalan Abdul Samad or the the Middle Ring Road). 

It is really a place where we can taste the tradition of Korean food mixing with local taste in Johor Bahru and this is all about how korean food had been brought in by this wonderful family. No hesitation to try up and for more information or to make reservations, call 07-223 4485 or 012-7359195. Facebook named Korea house (Korean Restaurant)

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Little Big Club

As promised, we would like to take you to another famous place in Johor Bahru today, the Little Big Club! 

Located at the four-storey building named Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park, Little Big Club occupies the second and third floor. The first floor is where the Sanrio Hello Kitty Town situated. For more information on Sanrio Hello Kitty Town, click HERE to check out our previous post! 

There are five main cartoon characters in the Little Big Club. The second floor is given over to Angelina Ballerina, Bob the builder, Barney and Pingu while the third floor is for Thomas and his Friends. There are various games, interactive activities and themed rides in the theme park! 

Here’s the map showing the location of the attractions at the second floor.

Let’s take a look at Angelina’s Dance Studio first!

Angelina Ballerina is a mouse who loves dancing and life. At her studio, little girls are taught a few dance moves by Angelina and her friends. But first, they have to put on the pink ballerina costumes, the pink-coloured tutu, mouse ears and a pink wand provided by the organizer to be able to dance like a ballerina. You can always expect to see kids jumping up and down in excitement when Angelina appeared! 

Bob the builder play structure is another interesting place.

There is a ‘Build It’ Zone where kids can join Bob to build a house in Bobsville. Children can use soft interlocking bricks to construct walls. Other activities are such as door and window and framing, kitchen and bathroom assembly. They can also help to transport bricks through a conveyer system! There are also a variety of rides from Bob’s Can-Do Crew scrambler ride to the scoop ride. People can definitely enjoy themselves very much here, especially boys!  

Kids are busily building the walls of the house at ‘Build It’ Zone.

So… Can we fix it? Yes we can!

It is now time to visit Barney’s house.

I’m sure many of you grew up with Barney the purple dinosaur. He is a lovable and huggable T-rex who loves music and dancing. Even famous pop stars Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato appeared in the Barney show when they were young! The Barney playhouse in the Little Big Club is somewhat similar to the setup on Barney’s TV series. The mini playground there has low slides and climbing structures. You can even meet Barney’s friends here!

Finally, we arrived at Pingu’s igloo at the North Pole!

The igloo has different types of arcade machine such as Whack-a-fish, Pingu’s Water Blaster and Fish with Pingu. The most important thing is, people can play as many times as they want as no token is required! People can also try out the sensory learning walls, snowboard ride and simulator. The igloo owner, Pingu the penguin can also be seen walking around, posing for people to take photos.

The map of third floor!

The third floor features Thomas and his friends. There are a few rides such as Knapford Station Thomas Train ride, Bertie the Bus ride, Harold’s Helitours ride, Colin Crane Drop ride and Windmill ride.

Bertie the Bus!

There are also bumper cars named Bumping Buffer Steamies and Diesel ride.

The Sodor Playground has lots of climbing structures, slides and tunnels that kids can crawl through.

Moreover, there are also the Maron and Wellsworth Station party rooms for children to celebrate birthday parties with their favourite characters!

Finally, there are live shows by different characters at scheduled time at the Little Big Club stage. The daily schedule has been attached too.

This place can definitely trigger your childhood memories! 

What are you waiting for? Come and join in the fun!

Address: Persiaran Puteri Selatan, Puteri Harbour, 79100 Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia

Hours: 10a.m. to 6p.m. daily

Ticket Price (online): RM80

Ticket Price (Malaysian): RM59

Contacts: [phone]

Note: for 2 parks pass (both Sanrio Hello Kitty Town and Little Big Club), online purchased ticket costs RM117 while it costs RM91 for walk-in purchase (Malaysian).

For more information, visit the official website: http://www.playtime.com.my/little-big-club

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Largest in Asia--World Kite Festival @ Pasir Gudang

Are you one of the kite enthusiasts?? If your answer is “Yes”, then you shouldn’t miss the annual kite-flying event-- The World Kite Festival!

Claimed to be the largest in Asia, the latest World Kite Festival 2015 took place in Bukit Layang-Layang, Pasir Gudang from 25 February until 1 March. This annual kite festival has been happening in Johor Bahru since 1995. Kite-flying competition, performances and kite-making workshops are always the highlights of this event.

During that period, vistiors were enchanted and attracted by the great variety of kites gliding across the sky of Pasir Gudang. Over 1000 participants from at least 50 countries took part in the competition and flied their kites there. Theme of the year was “Flying For Harmony”. 

Below are some glimpse of the kites flying in the air. Photos credit to ojsiew.

a tiger flying in the sky?

Hello to Hello Kitty!

oh sexy ladyyy op oppa Gangnam Style!

2015 is the year of goat! 

Crocodile flying in the sky!

Can you spot the police car?? it’s actually a kite! lol

16 rainbow-coloured kites in a row! eye-catching right?

Missed the World Kite Festival of the year? It’s okay, you still can make your way to the first kite museum in Malaysia-- Kite Museum Pasir Gudang!

It is the first museum in Malaysia to present the history of kites and has an unique working windmill which can generate enough electricity to supply the daily needs of the museum.

Malaysia traditional kite-- Wau!

Feeling to fly a kite after visiting the museum? Enjoy this recreational activity in the field outside the museum! FYI, the wide green field is served as the venue of World Kite Festival mentioned above! Forgot to bring a kite? No worries! There are some stalls selling kites there :) So, what are you waiting for?

Kite Museum Pasir Gudang

Address: Aras 19, Menara Aqabah, Jalan Bandar, 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor (Show Map) Entrance Fee: Adult: Malaysian RM2 / Foreigners: RM3; Children: RM1 Operating Hours: Daily 8:30am – 5:00pm (break 1:00pm – 2:00pm), Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm (break 12:15pm – 2:45pm)